Speech by SMS Tan Kiat How at National Translation Committee 10th Anniversary Appreciation Dinner

Welcome Remarks by NTC Chairperson, Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How at National Translation Committee (NTC) 10th Anniversary Appreciation Dinner on 15 Nov 2024

My Parliamentary colleague, SMS Sim Ann, who was the founding chairperson of NTC,

Members of the National Translation Committee and the Language Resource Panels,

Our Partners,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

2. Good evening. Thank you for joining us this evening as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the National Translation Committee (NTC).

3. Tonight’s Appreciation Dinner caps our year-long anniversary celebration. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on our journey and celebrate past achievements. I would like to thank our partners and colleagues who have contributed to these milestones, and importantly, to take the opportunity to map out the plan for the next 10 years.

4. This spirit of celebrating our past and refreshing our plans for the future was very much on display at this morning’s NTC 10th Anniversary Conference with over 400 participants and 25 speakers from various sectors. They explored topics such as the role of translation in community, interesting careers in translation, impact of technology on translation, as well as the future of translation, across three keynote sessions, a panel discussion and breakout sessions. Thank you for being part of this journey and for adding invaluable perspectives to the three focus areas that NTC members have identified for the next lap of our work: Community, Technology and Talent.

5. We were also honored to have distinguished international speakers sharing their insights with us. Ms Alison Rodriguez, International Federation of Translators came here from France to share her perspectives. She addressed the shifting landscape of translation as - in her words - globalisation recedes and polarisation comes to the fore. She shared about how translators should exercise their agency and be part of the dialogue to shape the future. She also advocated a balanced approach on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), calling for translators to use the technology but not to be beholden by it, and to debunk the myth that AI can solve everything, while becoming 'AI-literate' at the same time.

6. Professor Lee Tong King from the University of Hong Kong shared his perspectives of how the job of translators is evolving. He discussed the role of a translator, especially with tools like ChatGPT and Generative AI. He shared that translation is no longer just about "moving words across papers", but is now a total language solution. He gave us an interesting and in-depth comparison about the competencies and skillsets of translators - drawing references from all over the world, the Americans, Europeans, Australians - and the shift in skillsets needed for the future.

7. Mr Sujimy Mohamad shared about his decades of work in translation, and his insights on creating compelling Malay content that captivates and resonates with his audience. He also emphasised the importance of understanding the nuances in translation, which empowers creators and translators to convey the subtle connotations, cultural references, and emotional undertones that give language its influence. He said that language is the original influencer, using a lively example that resonated with the audience.

8. And, Mr Vadi PVSS discussed how translation serves as a vital bridge in multicultural societies, fostering understanding and connection. Through his award-winning bilingual work, including adaptations of Shakespearean plays into Tamil, he demonstrated the power of language and translation in bridging cultural divides and enriching our shared cultural landscape.

9. We also have Mr Ge Zhongjun, who flew in from Beijing. He shared his insights about the diverse and evolving career opportunities in the field of localisation, particularly in new-growth industry such as social media. His journey from being a part-time translator to now a leader in product localisation at TikTok shows how language skills can be applied to adapt to global environment and how evolving roles and translation skills can be found across different industries.

10. There are many more speakers in the panel sessions, breakout sessions, and many of you are here with us tonight. I would like to thank all of you and participants of this morning’s conference for your contributions and participation.

Contributions of Key NTC Partners

11. This year's NTC Appreciation Dinner sees wider participation across the industry, academia and community, which reflects our effort to involve more stakeholders across the translation ecosystem. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge those who have played pivotal roles in our journey over the past decade.

12. To the past and present members of the NTC and our three vernacular Resource Panels, your expertise across the public, private, and people sectors has shaped the translation landscape in Singapore.

13. A special mention goes to our NTC and Language Resource Panel members, who provided invaluable advice to maintain translation standards in Singapore, ensure consistency and accuracy in vernacular language translations across different languages, and supported various NTC initiatives to raise awareness and promote community participation in translation.

14. Mr Peter Ong, who served as the Head of the Chinese Resource Panel over the decade since its formation, has contributed significantly, particularly in guiding the panel in deliberating the translation of names for public infrastructure, including streets, buildings and MRT stations. Under Peter’s leadership, the Chinese Resource Panel has also discussed and proposed useful suggestions on translation matters in our community.

15. Similarly, Ms Khadijah Seron, who has served on both the NTC and the Malay Resource Panel since 2018, has generously shared her expertise at our workshops and panels, to support our effort in elevating our community’s translation standards.

16. Last but not least, our tribute to the late Mr Pala, founding Head of the Tamil Resource Panel. One of his most significant contributions to our local translation scene, was the launch of the official Tamil Translation Glossary. This glossary, developed under Mr Pala’s leadership, became an essential resource for translators, media personnel, educators, and public officers working on Tamil translations.

17. Mr Pala not only guided us on translation matters but also actively co-chaired Citizen Translator engagement sessions and conducted workshops to train public officers in translation. He never said no when we called on him to share his insights with students and citizen translators. His legacy continues to inspire all of us.

18. Additionally, I would like to thank the organisations that tapped on the Community-in-Translation Events Grant to promote translation in our community, as well as our partners who have contributed training data for the SG Translate machine translation engine. Your contributions have been instrumental in our collective success.

The Significance of Citizen Translators

19. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. In the case of translation, it takes an entire kampung to collectively uplift Singapore’s translation standards.

20. Beyond our government and industry partners, we have another crucial group in this kampung — our Citizen Translators. These are individuals who are passionate about their mother tongue language and would go above and beyond in their commitment to quality translation. They actively participate in various translation-related initiatives, contribute bilingual data generously to aid the training of SG Translate, and provide useful feedback on translations in government communication materials and in public spaces.

21. I am proud to share that we now have over 2,500 Citizen Translators and many of them joined us this morning at the conference. One interesting fact that I shared this morning was that the oldest citizen translator is 88-years-old and youngest, 15-years-old.

22. One of them, Mr Sundar, has made it his mission to check Tamil translations on public signs and posters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he spotted typos and translation errors in the Tamil language posters of a clinic in his neighbourhood. He contacted the clinic and provided them with correct translations, after which they replaced the posters. His dedication mirrors the efforts of many other Citizen Translators who volunteer their time and knowledge to give feedback on government materials, from websites to posters. We appreciate them giving us their feedback and making suggestions in a timely manner.

23. Mr Djohan, one of our earliest Citizen Translators, brings invaluable expertise in Malay language translation, particularly in educational settings. His deep understanding of Malay proverbs and phrases allows him to bridge language gaps for students who primarily speak English at home, ensuring they grasp not only the literal meanings but also the cultural nuances. His dedication to translation also extends into community projects, where he collaborates on standardised translations to maintain consistency and accuracy across official Malay language materials.

24. Ms Heidi Mah, a strong supporter of the CT project, brings her rich linguistic background and passion for learning to Singapore’s translation community. Her translation journey began when she went beyond her work at the hospital to provide translation support to help doctors communicate with non-English-speaking patients. Inspired to hone her translation skills, she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpretation after retirement, and graduated at age 71.

25. Now, she is with us as an active Citizen Translator, advocating for continuous learning by reading widely, comparing translations, and keeping tabs on unique Singaporean terms. Heidi’s dedication exemplifies the spirit of community translation, bringing linguistic precision and cultural understanding to her passion in translation.

26. These are just some examples of the 2,500 citizen translators.

The Launch of the NTC Commemorative Book

27. In conjunction with the 10th Anniversary of National Translation Committee, we have put together a special publication, “Word by Word: Connecting Communities Through Translation”.

28. This reflects NTC’s achievements over the past decade and outlines its vision for the next lap.

29. I would like to take this moment to thank Ms Khadijah, who first put forward the idea for creating this book. Her suggestion to document NTC's journey and sharing our aspirations for our next lap has resulted in this valuable publication. The book is in the bags on your tables. The batik motif on the bags are designed by our Citizen Translators. Within the bags are fun stickers packs and also the anniversary book.

30. The book is available in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. All languages are within this volume, and there is a creative way of flipping the book to read it. Having all four languages in the same volume underscores our commitment to inclusivity.

31. There is also the e-book version, which I encourage you to share with your colleagues, students, and others who might be interested in Singapore’s translation efforts.

32. To conclude, I would like to express my gratitude once again to all our partners, for making the NTC’s success possible. Our past chairpersons, our NTC members, resource panel members, community and agency partners, and individuals who stepped forward – thank you. The NTC would not have achieved so much in the past ten years without your support, your passion and dedication, and your unstinting effort to improve and raise professional standards of translation in Singapore.

33. We have made wonderful progress. But what is precious is not just about progress and raising standards; we have created a community. Looking around this room, and this morning at the conference, we see representatives from public-, private- and people-sectors. There were Citizen Translators, professional translators and students - this is really a kampung, a community cutting across different ethnicities, languages and ages, all here to raise professionalism standards.

34. I look forward, over the next ten years, to outline interesting ideas to work on, as part of NTC. We have organised ourselves in workgroups to take it forward. I look forward to working with all of you in the coming years to continue to grow our translation ecosystem, and for us to continue to support individuals, who share a passion for translation and languages, and work together to raise the professional standards of translation in Singapore.

35. Thank you very much and have a good evening.